Burma: Sequestration of Assets

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Singapore on the freezing of the financial assets of Burmese leaders held in accounts in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Meg Munn, spoke to the Singaporean Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 2(nd) Permanent Private Secretary Bilahari Kausikan, on 18 February to discuss recent developments in Burma.
	Singapore, both nationally and in its current role as Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair, has made clear its concerns about the violent repression carried out by the Burmese authorities last year, its wish to see the regime engaging in genuine dialogue with Burma's opposition parties, and its support for the UN Secretary-General's goodwill mission. But Singapore and its ASEAN partners do not support the application of sanctions at this time. We continue to discuss this and other aspects of the Burma situation with the Singaporean government on a regular basis.